High Stuck
by Ruyeka
Summary: Equius Zahhak was a loser in middle school. After he overhears a prank that is planned to be played on him, he becomes stronger and tougher. This leads to him being a bit of a loner. The only one to break him out of his "bad boy" state is a new girl, Nepeta Leijon. Takes place in a human AU. *Note* I got the idea somewhat from an Arthur episode "Last of the Tough Customers"
1. Prologue

Equius Zahhak walked down the hallways of his middle school. He couldn't be happier. He had finally worked up enough courage to ask his crush, Aradia Megido out. But before he could, she caught him off guard and asked HIM out. Just as he was turning the corner, he saw Aradia talking to Vriska Serket. Equius wasn't exactly friends with Vriska, but he didn't want to be rude and interrupt. He heard his name mentioned, so he stayed behind the corner to listen in.

"You all set for tonight?" Vriska asked. "I need to hear the plan again."

. Aradia giggled a bit. "Well I asked Equius t0 meet me at the l0cati0n I t0ld y0u ab0ut. He will be in f0r SUCH a surprise."

"Yeah?" Serket smirked "Then what?"

"I'm g0ing t0 make him wait a l0ng time. Then when I see he's ab0ut t0 leave, S0llux and I will walk 0ut in plain view and just start making 0ut. 0nce he sees, he'll be fr0zen in disbelief. That's when y0u c0me 0ut and whack him with this." Aradia pulled out a magic eight ball and handed it to her friend.

Vriska turned the ball over and over in her hands. "Such a shame I'll have to waste a perfectly good 8 ball on that loser." The two laughed and walked off, talking about Equius.

"He's such a l0ser." Aradia said. "Thinking I'D actually ask him 0ut."

"Who'd ever like him?" Vriska added. "He wears that dorky cat hat all the time. Such a wimp."

Equius just stood there frozen. He..he thought Aradia actually liked him and not that nerdy douchebag Sollux. He shook a bit as a tear rolled down his face. He didn't notice the class stoner, Gamzee Makara, walk up behind him.

"EqUiUs BrO, yOu...OkAy?" Gamzee asked. He could tell Equius was upset. What Zahhak did next caught him off guard.

"D- GET LOST, YOU..YOU CLOWN OBSESSED STONER!" Equius roared at him.

"HoNk…?"

Equius pushed Gamzee, quite roughly, out of his way as he tore down the hall in a sprint. How could he have been such a fool? He was a loser, that's all he'd ever be. He wanted to get away. He wanted a friend for once. Gamzee didn't count really. Makara was friends with just about everyone.

Equius climbed the ladder to the school's roof and sat there, overlooking the town. He brought his knees close to him and just sat there, a few tears escaping his eyes. He sighed and took off the hat, turning it over in his hands. Everyone made fun of him for wearing such a "dorky" hat. The hat was his favorite color, blue, and made to look like a cat.

This was the only thing that made the teenager smile. Nobody knew why he wore that hat. Nobody except him, his brother, and his father. This hat was special to him. He wore it every day to know there was good in the world.

He wore it to remember

Her...


	2. The New Girl

*4 years later*

Equius Zahhak, now a high school junior, walked the hallway to his locker. He had changed a lot since middle school. He was buffer, his hair was taller, and his hair was slightly longer. He now wore a dark green jacket as well. The only thing that hadn't changed about him was the blue hat he wore. He didn't care what anybody said about it. It was important to him and he would never remove it for anyone.

On his way to his destination, he passed a group of students, which included Sollux and Aradia. Sollux whispered something and the girls began to giggle, looking at Equius. He knew it was about him, because when he turned and gave them a death stare, they all stopped simultaneously. Equius punched the nearest locker, smashing the door and caving it in. He walked on as the group stared at him. "That'2 the tenth locker he'2 broken thii2 week." Sollux whispered.

In class, Equius stared out the window, twirling a lock of hair with his pencil. He was interested in the class, but today he was in an off mood. He already had the information the teacher was putting on the board. He was free to put his mind elsewhere. He was watching a cloud go by as the classroom door opened. Equius glanced over and saw a girl poke her head in. The teacher seemed to have been expecting her, since she motioned her in. Equius studied her. She was short with long caramel hair and sunglasses that covered her eyes. She moved them up so they rested on top of her head.

"Class, this is Nepeta Leijon. She just moved here." The teacher said, turning to Nepeta. "Leijon..that sounds French. Is your family from French descent?" The girl nodded. "Well, why don't you tell us about yourself?"

The girl nodded and looked to the class. ":33 Hi, I'm Nepeta Leijon." She said "Uhm.. I like cats and uhm..drawing." The girl gave a small smiled and looked around the class as the teacher gestured her to find a the teacher stepped out of the class for a moment to talk to someone, most likely the principal or the girl's mother, Equius glanced to the empty seat next to him. It wasn't likely she wouldn't sit by him. He liked having a seat to himself.

Nepeta seemed to have other plans as she made her way down the aisle towards the empty seat. The class's blind girl, Terezi Pyrope, stopped her with her cane. "you do not w4nn4 s1t th3r3," she warned the new girl. "th4t's 3qu1us. h3 1sn't th4t fr13ndly."

Equius muttered and looked back to the window. He heard a chair scrape the floor, the sound of some stuff hitting his desk, and another chair-to-floor scrape. He looked over and saw Nepeta sitting in the empty spot next to him. He turned his attention to the window once more. He had to admit, she was pretty brave.

Before the girl could talk to him, he held up a hand to interrupt her, still turned away. "First off," he said. "Don't talk to me. Second," he drew a line on the desk with his finger. 'never cross this line. Got it?"

His response was silence, followed by a small sound. He glanced over and saw she was giggling. He didn't like this. She was one of them. Someone who didn't take him seriously. Someone who'd mock him. "I'm serious!" He growled, holding up a fist. The whole class was looking now. "You don't know what I'm capable of!"

The girl said nothing and still giggled a bit. ":33 whaaate-fur." she said, smiling. She opened up a small book and started to scribble something in it. Equius blinked. Did..did she just use a cat pun? Her head wasn't turned to him anymore, but something on her face caught his eye.

She had a small scar on the middle of her upper lip that went up about a quarter inch or so, her mouth was shaped almost like a cat's. Was she that obsessed with cats? He studied her more and noticed she had blue fingerless gloves with what looked to be long, fake claws glued on. He looked to the back of her chair and saw a blue tail hanging off it, most likely attached to her belt. He inferred she was trying to dress like a cat.

Cats...He touched his hat. Could she..no. That girl was most likely long gone by now, probably on the other side of the world for all he knew. If they had been old enough, they could have stayed in touch by Pesterchum. But of course, they were too young at the time. He could have given her his address,so they could write one another and try to meet again.

If only…

As Nepeta drew in her book, Terezi poked her with her cane and motioned the girl to come close. The two leaned forward closer as the blind girl whispered.

"don't worry...h3 do3sn't h1t g1rls."

Nepeta nodded and turned back to her drawing. As she turned her head, she noticed the boy that sat next to Terezi. He looked almost as grumpy as the boy next to her. He wore a gray sweater and had messy copper hair. He was pretty cute. Could he be..? No. The one she was thinking of had black hair.

Just like the guy sitting next to her...what was his name? The girl with the red glasses had called him..Equius was it? Oh well. She'd find out later. Eventually she would be friends with him.

She could feel it.


	3. Lunch Time

At lunch time, Equius sat at his usual spot; alone and near the corner. He didn't want to associate with others at this time. This was his time to get his nutrients. Besides, the others usually ate dishes of meats, the smell and looks of which made him sick. Why couldn't they all learn that vegetables made you STRONG?

Nepeta looked around the room. There had to be a place to sit. Maybe with that girl with the red glasses? No, her table looked full. In fact, almost all the tables looked full. There was one with just one kid sitting there. Maybe he needed a friend? She decided to give it a try.

"Wwhat do you think you are doin?!"

Nepeta had just sat down and the boy seemed angry. "I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?"

"You sure did. Evveryone knowws that seat is savved for my wwoman, Fef." This boy seemed a bit pompous..but Nepeta had to admit, he was fashionable. His blonde hair was standing up and had an odd purple streak in it. His ears had a couple piercings that seemed to match his rings. For some reason, he wore a cape and a scarf indoors, even though it was quite warm. The teen stared at her through his glasses.

"Oh! I'm sorry. See, I'm new here and..sorry." Nepeta looked away. She should've asked before sitting somewhere random. When she looked back to him, the boy's expression eased.

"Neww?" The guy asked. He then smiled and bowed a bit. "Excuse me for bein so rude. My name is Eridan Ampora. And wwho might you be, you lovvely lady?" He gave her a smile. Before she could speak, the sound of heels clicking the floor came closer.

"Ugh, -Eridan! Don't be so creepy." A girl's voice said as the owner of the voice sat beside Nepeta. She was very pretty. Her long black hair waved down her back. Her magenta glasses matched her shirt and the jewelry she wore. Before she could chew out Eridan more, she looked Nepeta over and smiled big. "OH! You must be the new girl! Hi! My name's Feferi Peixes. This is my best friend, -Eridan Ampora. I'm so sorry if he was bothering you or being rude." She turned her attention back to Eridan. "Did you call me your woman in front of her? -Eridan, I've told you.."

Nepeta gathered her things and slipped off quietly. Feferi and Eridan didn't seem to notice as they argued a bit over whose actions were more atrocious; Eridan's for trying to hit on Nepeta, or Feferi's for interrupting. Leijon looked around for another place to sit. Her eyes settled on a table with one person at it.

Equius.

Zahhak was eating his salad, lost in thought. He was tempted to pull out a paper from his jacket when he heard a tray hit his table. He snapped his head up and saw her standing there. The same girl who sat next to him in class. Didn't she learn by now he wanted to be alone? "What do you want?" He asked her, looking down at his food.

"Is it okay to sit here?" She asked. "I tried to sit next to someone named Eridan but…" She winced a little bit. "Yeah…".

Equius looked at her, then to the seat and nodded. Anyone who had to deal with Ampora without knowing how much of a horny hipster he was had suffered enough. The girl smiled as she sat down. He kept to himself and avoided eye contact. She seemed to get the message; she flipped down her sunglasses from her forehead and focused on the food in front of her. Meat. The smell got to Equius as he tried to hold in his gags. How could she eat something so..horrid? Sure, he had eaten meat in the past, but now the very thought of that greasy mess made him want to give up food all together.

Nepeta didn't notice Equius' discomfort. She was starving. She dug into her meat meal rapidly. Whatever meat this was, it was delicious. Then again, all meat was delicious to her.

Equius watched in horror as the small girl murdered her meal. She was like a barbarian. A small, female barbarian. Where was she putting all this food? How could she eat so fast? How could she..

"E%cuse me…" He groaned, holding his mouth as he raced out of the lunchroom, knocking down a student named Tavros Nitram by accident. Nepeta looked up from her now destroyed lunch and ran over to help the boy.

"You okay?" She asked him. The boy looked at her and nodded. He had a slight Hispanic look to him. His hair was dark and all shaved except for a wide strip down the middle. His leather jacket was splotched with the lunch that started on his tray. The girl helped him clean off what they could and got him off of the floor.

Tavros looked away nervously. "uH,,,yEAH i'M OKAY." He took off his jacket to reveal pads strapped to his arm. "iT'S HAPPENED SO MUCH i JUST WEAR PADS ALL THE TIME NOW." The boy rubbed his arm a bit. "i STILL GET BRUISES THOUGH."

Nepeta looked to the doors Equius had ran out of. "I hope he's okay."


	4. The Walk Home

After school, Equius didn't go home right away. He went to his usual spot on the school roof, overlooking the sea of teenagers flowing out of the school. He pulled out a paper from his pocket and just stared at it for a while. It was an old picture. But apart from the creases from folding and unfolding, Equius made sure to keep it clean. She had given this to him years ago. He took off his hat and held it close. One day he would find her. He would search the ends of the Earth for this girl. They were just kids when she left, but this girl was the only thing that made him forget all the bad things. Would she remember him if they met?

As Zahhak watched the crowd go by, he spotted Aradia and Sollux walking out together. They had been dating since middle school, and were still going strong. He started to hate both of them then, and he still hated both of them now. Who was he kidding? He hated just about everyone at the school. He tolerated only a few, including Gamzee Makara and the Striders.

He looked around the roof. Even though he disliked being around his peers, he sometimes got lonely. He had his father and his older brother. But other than that, he never spent time with anyone his age nowadays. Who would want to be around him? He was big muscled and had a sweating problem. He didn't want to try out for contact sports,since he was afraid he'd injure someone with his strength. He had no interest in most of the clubs at school either. He did find interest in the Robotics club, but he was afraid he'd get angry and take it out on their creations.

He put his hat back on and folded up the paper, putting it in his pocket. As he got back to the ground, he saw Nepeta wandering around. Everyone else had gone home already. What was she still doing here? He hoped she hadn't seen him and was waiting. Couldn't she just leave him alone?

"What are you still doing here?" He asked. Nepeta jumped a bit and turned around quickly. She put her hand to her pocket, possibly to pull out pepper spray. She took a sigh of relief once she saw who was speaking to her.

"Oh, Equius..Hi." She said. She looked around a little more. "Well, I missed the bus home, so I was looking to s33 if I could use a phone to call my sister or my mom. But…" She sighed. "I guess everyone left for the night."

"Which direction is your house?"

Nepeta thought for a moment, then pointed to the west. _Great,_ Equius thought, _same direction as my house. _He was quiet for a moment, then spoke. "My house is that way, I can walk you home if you like."

The girl's eyes brightened. "Really?!" She asked, then looked puzzled. "What's the catch?"

"Catch?"

"Yeah, like when I sat next to you in class. What's the catch? Don't get close to you? Don't look at you? Erase my memory of where you live so I don't stalk you?"

Equius blinked. This girl was pretty good with her comebacks. A bit irritating, but good. "Just..don't tell anyone about this." He said. "I don't need the entire school talking about me walking home with a girl."

Nepeta giggled as they walked. "That sounds so childish. You afraid I'll give you cooties?" Equius didn't respond and kept walking. He didn't want people to think he had gone soft. He wanted his peers to fear him, know he wasn't a force to be reckoned with. Sure, the hat he wore made him look weak, but the last thing students thought of when they heard "Equius Zahhak" now was the hat.

The new girl seemed to take an interest in his hat. She looked at it from time to time, wanting to ask about it. She figured she shouldn't bother him about it. She had bothered him enough today and didn't want her first day to consist of annoying someone away and being hit on by a hipster. In technicality, she wasn't new to the town itself. She had lived her for a short time as a child. A lot had changed since.

She wondered if he still lived here…

Nepeta figured she should ask Equius at least one question. "So uhm..who was that boy in class?" The boy gave her a strange look.

"Which one?"

"Oh! Sorry. Uhm..the boy in the gray sweater. He sits next to the blind-"

"...That's Karkat Vantas." Equius said quietly. "He's from a different country. He speaks our language quite well since he's lived here most his life. But…" Vantas looked away. "He's not the nicest guy to talk to."

Karkat. Nepeta liked that name, especially since it had "kat" in it. She'd try talking to him tomorrow. Maybe Equius was over-exaggerating. Though she barely knew him, Nepeta could tell Equius didn't like people. His opinions couldn't stop her from making friends.

As they rounded the block corner, Nepeta stopped. "Here's my house." She said. Equius almost continued on. He wasn't used to stopping at another house on his way home. _Great, _Equius mentally sighed, _She lives down the road from me._ Equius turned to look at the house. It was a decent sized house with a nice exterior. He knew she had mentioned something about a sister and mom. Did she have a father too? It wasn't his place to ask. After all, he only had a brother and father. His mother had left a long time ago. They kept in touch by letters and phone calls usually. Maybe she did have a father and he was working. Who knew?

"Thanks for walking with me." Nepeta said, smiling at the tall boy, looking at him through her sunglasses.

Equius looked on. "Yeah, no problem. Just don't tell anyone." He turned away and started on to his home. Nepeta felt like talking to him again, but she held back. He seemed bothered by something. Plus, he didn't seem to like her that much. Of course, they hardly knew one another, but Nepeta felt he automatically disliked her.

She promised herself deep down she would break through his tough exterior and find the Equius that was hidden within.


	5. Memory

When Equius got home, he found his older brother, Horuss. at the kitchen table. Horuss was too busy fiddling with a new invention to hear his brother come in. "Ahem." Equius coughed. The older Zahhak snapped his head up quickly.

"Oh E%uius, i didn't hear you come in." He sighed. "Dad's out with his archery team. How was school?" Before Equius opened his mouth, Horuss carried on. "Well, I made a new friend today at the college. Her name's Meulin Leijon."

_Leijon? _Equius asked himself, _That must be that new girl's sister. _"We have a new girl at school." The younger Zahhak said once he made sure his brother was done talking. "Her name's Nepeta Leijon."

"Nepeta?" Horuss asked, looking off into space. "That name sounds familiar…" He shrugged. "Maybe Meulin mentioned her, I don't know." As Equius went up the stairs to his room, Horuss yelled up to him. "I'm going out with Rufioh tonight, and Dad is going to the bar after practice. You're on your own for dinner."

Equius rolled his eyes. That was typical. He was alone once more while his dad went drinking and his brother did who knows what with his boyfriend. Equius had no problem with his brother being gay. The Nitrams were a pretty nice family. Sort of wimpy, but very nice. Though, it made it a bit awkward at school. Equius was in the same grade as Tavros, Rufioh's younger brother. Almost the whole class knew about their brothers, but nobody said anything. Not after freshmen year, when Equius nearly sent Eridan through a wall for insulting his brother.

Equius got to his room and threw his bookbag on the bed. He hung up his coat and hat carefully, not wanting to tear or crease anything. He stared at the hat for a long time, thinking back to when he started wearing it. He was so lost in thought, he didn't hear Horuss come in. The older brother watched his younger brother look at the hat. He knew how much it meant to Equius.

That girl meant a lot to him.

"_Come on!" A little girl said as she grabbed his hand. The two were only four years old. The little boy looked unsure as his friend pulled him towards the jungle gym. He wanted to be brave for her but..the big jungle gym was pretty scary to him. He looked to her The girl was very brave. She had jumped off the swing from very high (he slowed himself down to stop), she went down the slide head first (even though it was very unsafe), and now she wanted to play on the jungle gym. The jungle gym was a danger zone for boo-boos to the boy. Monkey bars, slides, various entrances/exits. Why couldn't they play in the sandbox?_

_When he came back to reality, his new friend had gone up without him and was looking down at him from the first floor. "Come on already!" She pleaded. "It's no fun without you." This made him smile. He was happy to have a friend like her around. He gulped and climbed up the stairs. Once he got there, his friend hugged him and meowed. She loved cats…_

"Thinking about her again?" Horuss asked, breaking Equius out of his flashback. Equius sat on his bed, not wanting to admit it. He knew his brother wouldn't tease him about it. But, he hated to admit being weak. The older Zahhak sat next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "You'll see her again one day, I'm sure of it." Horuss didn't want to get his brother's hopes up. He remembered that the girl's family moved a lot, never staying in one place for too long. He couldn't remember why they moved so often, or who he had heard it from. He vaguely remembered the little girl having an older brother. Or, was it a sister? Maybe he had heard from his dad? Who knew? It was years ago.

Horuss got up "Well, I have to go meet Rufioh." Before he left, he looked to his brother. "Sure you'll be here okay?" Equius only nodded. The older one decided not to bother anymore and closed the door behind him.


	6. Lonely Supper

**This chapter was part of an idea by my best frond. She doesn't have a FF account, but her name is Lesley and she's an awesome sister/best frond ^^**

* * *

After some time, Equius ventured downstairs for dinner. Perhaps Aurthor would be home to help him make his dinner. The boy then remembered where the butler was; he always went with Equius and Horuss's father to archery practice then to the bar. Aurthor would help his dad with various things, then have to drive him home if he got too drunk. So, Horuss was right; Equius was alone for dinner.

Equius put a little butter in a pan and put assorted vegetables in. Bringing out a large pot of water, he boiled the water and put in a few packages of ramen. As he waited for everything to finish, he went back into thought of her.

_The two of them stood on the top of the jungle gym. What would they do first? The slide? The monkey bars? The boy worried. Did she want to try and jump off the top? No, she wasn't that crazy! But, she could be if she tried hard enough. _

_To his surprise, the little girl just sat, sticking her feet between the bars and let them dangle. She looked to her friend and smiled, wanting him to join her. He sat next to her and they just looked at all the other children playing. The two only knew each other for a couple weeks, but they acted like they've known one another since they were babies. Ever since she moved here they played together every day. _

_The little girl looked sad. He couldn't understand. One minute she was meowing and smiling, then..she was sad? "What's wrong?" He asked her. "You look sad…"_

_His friend looked at him and forced a smile "I'm okay. Don't worry about it." She said._

_But he was worried. He wanted to cheer his friend up. He looked through the bars, suddenly smiling. "Wait here." He said. He went down the slide (closing his eyes), and ran over to a grassy spot. From the jungle gym, he had seen a couple different flowers growing together. Dandelions, violets, and some flower his dad called corn-cockles. He picked a few of each then ran back to the jungle gym, being very careful not to break any._

_The little girl looked through the bars, still a bit sad. He tapped her on his shoulder. As she turned, he held the flowers, turning a bit red. "I uhm..thought these would make you happy. It's okay if they don't. I-" He was interrupted by the girl's gasping of glee. She gently took the flowers and smelled them. She jumped up and hugged him tightly, smiling._

"_Thank you." She said, still hugging him, "They're wonderful. They make me happy."_

_The boy smiled. He was happy he could make his friend smile. He just wanted to know why she was sad. Did someone throw a rock at her? Did he say something wrong? Was it that burning smell and sizzling sound?_

_Burning smell? Sizzling sound?_

"FIDDLESTICKS!"

Equius quickly turned off the stove. The ramen and water had boiled over and made a mess on the stove and floor. The vegetables shrunk and were one step away from well done. Equius sighed. His dinner wasn't ruined, but he had a mess to clean up and a smell to get rid of.

Zahhak figured the noodles boiled enough, so he added the vegetables and the mushroom-flavor packets in. He was lucky the noodles came in non-meat flavors. He didn't know if the flavor contained actual traces of meats, but he wouldn't take the chance.

When he sat down at the table with his bowl, he looked out the window to see if his dad and Aurthor and/or his brother were pulling in. They weren't. However, someone was near the front of the house.

It was Aradia and Sollux.

"Fiddlesticks." The boy groaned as he dimmed the lights and pulled down the shade. He didn't want to see them or deal with them. He feared if the house showed any sign of life in it, the couple would be at his door, taunting him. This only happened a few times, but not recently.

He peeked through the blinds and saw they paid no attention to his house and continued on to wherever they were headed. Where were they going? He didn't really care. Their business wasn't his concern. Why was he even thinking about it?

As he rose the blinds, he did see one more person outside the house, just wandering around as if they were looking for something.

"Nepeta?"


	7. Day Two

_Sorry for the hiatus and short chapter, everyone. I've been very busy with school lately. _

The next day, everyone was back in the classroom. When Equius got to his seat, something caught his eye. There was a line drawn on the desk, one side was labeled "Equius" the other was labeled "Nepeta :33". Zahhak let out an annoyed sigh. She didn't have to take the line so seriously, joke or not. As he sat down, Nepeta came bouncing in and sat beside him once again. She had claimed this spot hers, much to Equius's annoyance. He wondered how long it would take before she complained about his sweating.

Zahhak once again read ahead, so he tuned out the teacher as she droned on about what he already knew. He glanced around the room to see who else wasn't fully focused. Dave Strider was busy drawing something in his notebook. Beside him, John Egbert was on his phone, possibly reviewing the latest Nicolas Cage movie. Roxy Lalonde was stealing sips from a small water bottle. Roxy drank a lot, but she was smart about it when she was in school.

When the teacher's back was turned, Equius heard a tapping on his desk. He glanced over and saw Nepeta using two of her fingers to "walk" her hand towards his side. She stopped at the line and said quietly, "The mighty empurress requests purrmission to cross the border to Equiadas." Equius rolled his eyes. This girl was childish and quite annoying. What kind of name was 'Equiadas'? If he were a country, he'd have a more noble name like..why was he even thinking about it? Nepeta just smiled and withdrew her hand to write notes.

At lunch, Equius sat in his usual spot with his usual lunch. The only thing out of place was the number of people at his table. Nepeta once again sat there. She was more sophisticated today with her eating. Lucky for Zahhak, the school's lunch today was meatless.

Equius thought about his friend from long ago. _What if she likes meat? _Equius wondered. _Should I start eating meat too? Or would she consider going vegetarian? Would it be rude to ask? _The boy shook his head. He didn't have to worry about this now. He probably wasn't going to see this girl for a few more years. He had a plan to look for her. He didn't care how much it costs or how long it took. He wanted to find her. She meant a lot to him. Not just because she was his first friend.

She had saved his life.

"You okay?" Nepeta asked. Equius snapped out of thought and looked at the girl annoyed. He grunted something and looked down at his meal. She just shrugged it off and scribbled more in her book while she ate. Wasn't her business.

After school, Equius once again walked home with Nepeta. She explained that she once again missed the bus. She may be new, but Zahhak concluded this girl was not very bright. She missed the bus twice hoped she wasn't paying attention to where he lived. Equius hated surprise guests, especially some annoying, cat-obsessed girl who wouldn't leave him alone.

As they rounded the corner, Equius caught a glimpse of something. He turned his head to look at the nearby playground, Little children chased one another, went down the slide, and did whatever children did when they saw a playground. Zahhak smiled a bit. He used to play there all the time when he was young. He remembered how much fun it was from his small perspective. The slide was gigantic, the monkey bars were like dangling over the Grand Canyon.

He remembered playing with her there.

"Equius?" A voice said, snapping him from his thoughts. Nepeta had once again had snapped him out of his loving memories, to be reminded of the cruel, dark world he grudgingly had to occupy.

"What?"

Nepeta looked at the ground a bit. "Sorry, I just uhm..wanted to say...thanks for being so nice to me." She smiled a bit as she went inside her house.

Equius stood there for a bit. Was he really being nice? Should he stop? He figured he shouldn't act cold to her. She hadn't done anything to him yet. He kept walking until he reached his house. He stopped for a moment on the stoop and turned to the new girl's house. There was something about her. What was it? Was it her scar? Was it the way she talked?

Zahhak had to admit...she was kinda cute.


	8. Karkat

After a couple weeks went by, it was pretty obvious to Equius that Nepeta was not on any sort of bus route. She walked to and from school each day. Why she was at the school after hours and claimed she rode a bus was beyond him, not like he cared or anything. He had to put up with her for some of his class periods, lunch, and after school walking home. Equius really didn't want a whole lot to do with her. He did think she was a bit cute, but she just sort of.. pushed her way into his life. He didn't want this to turn into another Aradia incident. He didn't want a repeat of what happened the night of that event.

Nepeta asked a couple times about his hat and his trenchcoat. But just the usual "Why do you wear that?" and "Do you wash them?". Of course he would wash them! From a very young age, Horuss and Equius were taught the value of good hygiene and proper bodily care. This worked semi-well for Equius, considering he had an abnormal sweating problem. His laundry mainly consisted of many towels and tank-tops from his workouts.

Equius was not really part of Nepeta's concerns though. She was very focused on Karkat Vantas. Something about him just brought out a spark in her. Was it his messy hair? Was it the way he always looked so tough yet stayed so quiet? What could she do to get him to notice her? She was willing to do near anything to get him to consider her as something.

What if he was the one she had been hoping for? She played with a boy who was usually quiet when she was little. Her first friend, no, best friend, in child terms. She was very sad when her mother told her they'd be leaving. Her mother travelled a lot to speak of this guy's teachings. Many referred to him as "Signless", since his semi-religious teachings fell under no religious symbol. It wasn't Christian based, but didn't fall under Atheist terms either. There really was no religion in his teachings, just spoke of ways to try and get along with your fellow human, putting differences like color, class, religion, and other factors aside.

Nepeta thought for a moment; Karkat looked a LOT like Signless. Could he..?

"Hey, Neppy isn't it?"

Nepeta snapped out of thought and turned to the voice behind her. Vriska Serket. "Uhm, it's Nepeta actually." The girl corrected.

"Whatever." Vriska rolled her eyes. "Listen Neppy, word is you have your eyes on Karkat Vantas." She smirked "Poor thing, he doesn't know you're alive, does he?"

Nepeta turned a shade of red. If she took her sunglasses off, Vriska would've be able to see the fear in her eyes. "What?! No. I- I don't like Karkat.. I don't know him that well." She tried her best to hide the truth. Vriska wasn't catching on.

"Look, Neppy. I know a sure way for him to notice you." The Serket had a plan. "Who do you see Karkat hanging out with usually?"

"Let's see… Terezi and John and Dave…" Nepeta thought. "Sometimes Gamzee too. But what does that-"

"What do they all have in common?" Vriska interrupted. "Think about physical appearance."

The Leijon girl thought. Terezi was blind, unlike the others, 3 of them wore some type of eyewear, like her. Only thing she thought of was…

"Short hair." Vriska said after a moment. "And you?" She took a lock of Nepeta's hair into her hand and played with it a bit. "You have such long hair...Karkat pretty much thinks long hair is a turn off." She let go of the lock and smiled. "If you want him to notice you, or even consider you to be "girlfriend" material..well, you know what to do."

Nepeta slowly took a hold of some of her hair. Her mother and sister had very long hair, just like her. She wouldn't dare cut it! The only time her hair was considered "short" was when she was little. Maybe, if she cut it, Karkat would talk to her, and realize their past together. Even if it wasn't him, she wanted some type of relationship with him.

"Thanks Vriska." Nepeta smiled as the last bell rang. Vriska nodded and walked off.

Another pawn was entering her game.

On the walk home, Equius noticed Nepeta had a bit of "pep in her step." She kept playing with her hair, putting it between her fingers and rising her hand up. She'd get to a certain length, frown, and then restart. What was going on in her head? He shook it off and kept walking. This was also one of their quieter walks...He did enjoy her talking.

Later that night, Nepeta sat in the upstairs bathroom near her room. Her mother was off to a sermon and Meulin was off with some friends. She was alone. She took in a breath, let it out with a sigh, then stood. She faced the mirror and looked at herself. Without breaking the stare at her reflection, she reached for the sink drawer and opened it up.

The girl removed a pair of scissors from the drawer and got to work.


End file.
